Monday, December 31, 2012

The last day of 2012~~time does fly, even faster as you get older! When I was at Bath and Body Works prior to Christmas, I purchased a few of their little hand sanitizers, including one that contained red sanitizer and the label said "I (heart) You". I went back Saturday and purchased a few more as we will be making these at our next class and the labels were perfect for Valentine favors/gifts. So if you need little gifts for teachers, co-workers and others, drop by your local Bath and Body Works store and pick up a few. By the way, the hand sanitizers were five for $5 and come in a wide variety of colors and themes including PARTY, Island Margarita, I Love Bling and more. After attending my card class and making one holder, you will be ready to make the holders not only for your Valentines but also to use as favors for your next event. Enjoy this last day of 2012. If you are going out tonight, be safe! Happy New Year!

Friday, December 28, 2012

Happy Friday! I saw a photo of a quilted heart card and wanted to see what I could do with that idea. So I took out my Heart Framelits, using the middle one. I used scraps from the Festival of Snow DSP pack that is in the Holiday Mini. The little "love you" banner is from the Itty Bitty Banners set and the "forever" is from Fabulous Phrases. We will definitely be making this card in the next class, but using a different color/print combination. Have a great day and an enjoyable weekend.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

I received some very nice crafting Christmas presents that are not SU products. I wanted to share a couple of those products with you so today's cards include both SU and non-SU products. The stamped image on the Calypso Coral card is a Flourish image colored in with my Stampin' Up markers and layered on Gumball Green cardstock. I added some texture using the diagonal plate on my Simply Scored board. (By the way, the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate is one of the Sale-a-bration choices.) The Calypso Coral baker's twine is a nice finishing touch for the bouquet of flowers. The Valentine is a very clean and simple card to create. The scroll flourish is a Memory Box die which I think is just so pretty. This die cut is very delicate so you need to be careful when removing it from the die and releasing it from the cardstock from which it was cut. The stamped image is one of the images in the Stampin' Up set You Are Loved. A little embellishing with rhinestones is all this card really needed. Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

We had a wonderful Christmas with our children on Christmas Eve and our dear friends on Christmas Day. Today will be a reorganize the house day--not my scrap room for a change! (Well, the scrap room needs a little help, but not a priority--lol.) Over the weekend I did find time to play with something new--SU's little pinwheel Sizzlit. As you can see, it is just adorable. The Very Vanilla card uses DSP from the More Amore pack in the Spring mini while the black and red card uses products in the annual catalog. A very cute item, it has little holes to insert the brad and therein lies the challenge. My old, chubby fingers had a problem holding the formed pinwheel and getting that mini brad in. Thanks to a fellow demo, her solution was to line up the tiny holes on a paper piercer and then add the brad. You will have the joy of playing with this little toy at the January classes. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Friday, December 21, 2012

We had our first real snow of the season and happily it wasn't nearly as bad as predicted for our area. The snow has stopped, the ground is covered and icy and I sit here listening to the strong winds. Today will be a stay-at-home day so that I can spend time organizing my Christmas chaos~~ and playing with ink and paper, too! The image on today's Valentine is from the You Are Loved stamp set and coordinates with the Decorative Label punch. I again matted the image on top of one of my Sure Cuts A Lot labels and added a tiny red heart. The embossed heart detail was created using one of the embossing folders in the Adorning Accents collection, something I don't use very often and which I should. To finish off the card I used my corner chomper (not SU) as it goes so well with the decorative label. Have a wonderful day and find yourself a little time to soak up the sounds and scenes of this last weekend before Christmas. And for those traveling~~safe travels.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

No sneak peeks; no new products to show; just a cute card~~if I say so myself! The branch is a die that I purchased last year when we were in Florida. To be honest, I forgot I had it until I started playing with my Memory Box dies a couple of weeks ago. The sentiment is from the retired stamp set, Well Scripted, a stamp set that I will not be parting with in the near future as the font is gorgeous. I actually think the sentiment is what makes this card special. Basically, I punched out hearts, drew "string" using a glitter pen to hang the hearts from the branch and that was it. (Now that I am looking at the card, I should have had a brown branch. Oh well, next time.) Perfect for Valentine's Day, an anniversary or just to let someone know you care! As a matter of fact, this is a card for all of my followers and customers. I care about each of you! Have a wonderful day and take it easy in the snow!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Today's card is a cute, fun creation. The color combination was influenced by my need to use a little more of that Pool Party Coredinations cardstock. The stamped image is one of the images in the Patterned Occasions set in the SAB brochure and when you spend $50 during SAB you might chose this stamp set as your freebie! I inked it up with my markers and then used a variety of circle punches for layering. And the finishing touch is the wavy scored border on the Pool Party cardstock. Another item being introduced in the Spring Mini is the Simply Scored Borders Plate. Place this board on top of your Simply Scored tool and you can add a variety of embossed decorative line designs to your cards and scrapbook pages. Next time you are here you will definitely have to play with it. In the meantime, have a great day!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

I have heard from a few of you that SU's Sale-a-bration brochure has arrived and I am wondering if the Spring Mini has also arrived?Today's sneak peek includes products from the Spring Mini. I know that Valentines are usually pink or red but when the UPS man arrived yesterday I grabbed that new Pool Party Coredinations cardstock out of the box and started today's card When SU first introduced Coredinations cardstock in the Holiday mini I purchased both the Cherry Cobbler and the Espresso. Both were very pretty but I never created much with that product. I think it is because I did not care for the color that is revealed when the cardstock iss embossed and/or sanded. But I love the color of Pool Party interior (a lighter shade of Pool Party) and see Pool Party Coredinations on many of my future cards. I also used another new item on this card and that would be the Hearts A Flutter framelits. The banner, the large scalloped heart and one of the smaller hearts are included in that particular set. And there is a coordinating stampset, too. If you have the Spring Mini, you will be able to see the actual stamp and Framelits sets. They are both cute products, although I do not yet have the stamp set. We will be making this card at classes scheduled for January 5th and 6th. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Is that little stamp with the little heart cute or what? It is one of a set of 8 stamps that is in the Sale-a-bration brochure, Pretty Petites. The stamp measures less than 1" wide and high and it has a coordinating punch to go with it, the Petite Curly Label Punch. Each of these can be yours free with each $50 purchase come January 22nd, the start date of Sale-a-bration. I have been playing a bit with SU's My Digital Studio software lately, trying to learn more about it. Since I have an electronic die cutter and I have the Sure Cuts A Lot program, I wanted to see if I could make mats for the mini curly label punch. So I imported the Curly Label punch from the MDS program onto my SCAL mat and succeeded. I added texture by using my Simply Scored tool and used two of the stamps from the Fabulous Phrases set to coordinate with that tiny little heart. Have a great day!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Over 300 new Clearance Rack items are being added to the Online Store at discounts up to 80 percent off retail-only while supplies last! And for the first time ever, stamps are included at up to 40% off. Go to my SU website, click on Shop Now, Clearance Rack and then New Clearance Items. These are while supplies last and includes dies (Matchbox Die #114890 is one of them--yeah!), stamp pads, individual markers and so much more. Check it out. And it goes way beyond 10 pages. Keep clicking on the arrow to see everything. Only online orders are available, so you will need to order directly. I am off to finish looking at the Clearance Rack items. Have a great day!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Are you wondering when you are going to find the time to make your Christmas cards? Here is a card that is quick and easy yet very pretty. The ornament is from the Tags til Christmas set stamped in Night of Navy on Shimmery White cardstock. The "string" was drawn using the Night of Navy marker and the edge of a piece of cardstock. I matted it on Night of Navy cardstock and adhered it to the card front. After stamping the sentiment (from the More Merry Messages set)I embellished the ornament with one of our rhinestones. I plan on making a few more of these cards later today using Raspberry Ripple. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Today's card is all about the die cut. I recently purchased a couple of Memory Box dies. When they arrived, I was anxious to create a card using the heart border. The intricate cuts did require a couple of runs thru the Big Shot. I have found that SU's Whisper White cardstock cut clean on one pass thru, but once I switched to the Pink Pirouette, I needed a shim and had to run it thru twice. I was able to remove the little pieces rather easily. That being said, the lines are so delicate that I had to be careful and take my time. The next trick was adhering the border to the card front. I used my fine point glue pen and even then had to clean up a couple of little places where the glue spread beyond the die cut. And now it is time to clean up the little pieces of cardstock on the counter and floor in my scrap room. Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Today's cards were very easy to create~~no special technique or shape. I just wanted you to see new ribbon that is in the Spring Mini. When I first looked through the Spring Mini, I saw pretty pink and pretty gray ribbon. The descriptive title of the ribbon is 1 1/4" Two-Tone Ribbon and next to it are two pictures of ribbon. Well, the 1 1/4" did not register as I oooohed and ahhhhed over the ribbon pictures. So when I tore open the SU box and saw the ribbon, I said out loud to myself, "Wow, this is wide ribbon!" The minute I said it I knew that I did read that it was 1 1/4". No matter the size, the ribbon is gorgeous and it ties beautifully. It is soft and shimmery and looks pretty on both cards. So when you receive your Spring Mini in the mail you will ooooh and ahhhhh over much of it, but remember--the ribbon is wide! Have a wonderful day!

Monday, December 10, 2012

was very productive. We began the weekend having Friday night dinner with Sydney and Matthew~~always a joy, seriously. On Saturday morning Sydney was up before me and John so she used her resources to get ready for breakfast. She pulled a bar stool into the pantry to get the cereal and then moved it further down the counter to get the bowls. It was right about that time when John walked into the kitchen. She had my cereal breakfast set out and ready for me while John made her his chocolate chip pancakes--the pancakes he never made for his daughter--hahahah!!! And then the baking began. We actually baked, iced and decorated cookies for the entire day. Two moments were very memorable: Sydney's little hands were actually big enough to use the cookie press gun herself this year; and Sydney calling John (who had gone to the store) to ask him to get red Twizzlers she can pull apart to make bows for the cookie wreathes!!! I treasure these memories and watch her grow each year, from a little girl who sat on the counter to sprinkle decorates on cookies to the beautiful young lady who can use the cookie press and tie bows made of licorice. The cookies are good, but the love that is in the cookies means so much more. Have a great day!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Two posts in one day~~all because yesterday I had a vision in my head for this snowman and he was melting. So I put it on cardstock and the only thing I would change on this card: I wouldn't let his smiling face show when he is almost melted~~~hahaha! Have a great weekend!

Remember the Big Shot Pillow Box die? It is now retired from Stampin' Up, but I continue to make use of it. Today's photo includes two pillow boxes I made using the Coordinations cardstock. After cutting the boxes, I ran them through the Big Shot using embossing folders. The Cherry Cobbler was left alone after being embossed while I lightly sanded the Early Espresso box after it was embossed. What with the sparkly ribbons wrapped around them, these boxes will look darn pretty peeking out of the top of the Christmas stockings. Use cardstock colors to match your dinner table; fill the boxes with little candies; tie with pretty ribbons and use as festive table favors and/or place card settings. This and the matchbox die are the two dies that I wish had not retired. They were and continue to be my favorite SU Big Shot dies. Time for me to get going here. This is "baking with Grandma and playing with Grandpa weekend", so I need to do a little grocery shopping. Have a wonderful weekend and fins yourself a little stampin' time.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

I usually watch Diane Sawyer on ABC Nightly News. In the past, the ABC Nightly News has done special segments on products that are made in the USA. And during this holiday season, they are again showcasing companies that manufacture their products here in the USA. According to ABC, if each of us spent just $64 on American-made goods during our holiday
shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs. So that got me thinking and I sent an email to Stampin' Up asking which of their products are made here in the USA. The answer: rubber stamps, wheels and ink. That means that many SU products are manufactured outside of the USA, but at least when I purchase stamps and ink I know I am helping someone keep a job. Today's 3x3 card offers a sneak peek of a couple new items in the Spring Mini: a new stamp set, Ciao, Baby and the new 7/8" Mini Scallop circle punch. Both items are very cute! Since the stamp and ink are the only items on this card that are made in the USA, maybe I should get a stamp that I can put on the backs of my cards that says: "Created In the USA"! Have a great day.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I was having "snow much fun" creating cards for nieces and nephews and just had to share this one in particular. Do you remember the Halloween Moon card I had made a couple of months ago? I had gotten so many positive remarks about that one card that I challenged myself to make a winter/snowman card using a fence. But this time, after embossing the cardstock for the fence, I even cut the cardstock so that it l had wood slats just like you see in your neighborhood. And since this is a winter card, I added snow to the fence. Easy enough to do: just drag the top of the cardstock pieces against the Versamark ink pad, pour white embossing powder over it and heat. Over the next few days I will be posting sneak peeks of products that will be in both the Spring Mini (effective January 3rd) and the Sale-a-bration brochure (SAB starts January22nd). There are a few items that I am anxious to get my hands on and when I do, you will see my creations using those items right here on my blog. I have ordered Spring Minis and SAB brochures to be mailed directly to my regular supporters. Not sure exactly when they will be mailed, but I am thinking you will get them mid-December. But if I see you before you receive your copies, I will share mine with you. Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Today's cards were created using the Snow Much Fun stamp set in the annual catalog. During the Online Extravaganza the price was right and it was too cute to pass up. And look at just how cute these cards turned out! We have a number of nieces and nephews that we send gift cards to each Christmas and these snowman cards will be perfect. The cards with pink will be for the girls. I will make similar cards for the boys, but will change the colors~~red and green or blue and red. So many possibilities! The images were stamped using Black Stazon ink and then colored in using my SU markers. I used a blender pen and Bashful Blue ink to lightly add a little "shadowing" along the outlines of the snowmen. To finish off the card on the right, I drew a black outline and sponged a little Bashful Blue and Basic Gray along the outline to give the illusion that the tree and snowman are on snow-covered ground. The "Happy Christmas" sentiment is from the More Merry Messages stamp set, also in the annual catalog. Hope your day is "so much fun"!

Monday, December 3, 2012

We had an enjoyable afternoon, but no Cricut machines this month. Instead, five of the six regulars (missed you Nancy) had a cookie exchange and played a little bingo. These are two of the little favors, both made with the Two Tags die. The Cherry Cobbler DSP was left over from the JOY frame class and the white favor is Whisper White cardstock which was run thru the Big Shot using an embossing folder.

Each holds a little Hershey nugget. (I think Hershey should send us a free bag of Nuggets or Hugs or Kisses as it seems that papercrafters are some of their biggest supporters--lol!) A strand of red and green garland adds a very festive touch to the "sweets" bar in the dining room together with a vase filled with candy canes, a bowl with Sixlets, white cupcakes and cute little snow people. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time.

Friday, November 30, 2012

The Christmas Lodge stamp set in the annual catalog is one that held my interest for quite a while, but I just couldn't justify purchasing another Christmas set. So when the tree stamp became available as a single purchase, I ordered the single stamp. I had an idea as to how I would use it, and it worked as I envisioned. Of course, I did waste a few pieces of Whisper White cardstock, but once I knew what green would work best and how many times I needed to stamp off, the cards look very nice. After inking the image with Old Olive, I stamped it once on a scrap paper and then the second time on the Whisper White cardstock for the Olive Green Card. For the Cherry Cobbler card, I inked the stamp and stamped it twice on a scrap before stamping it on the Whisper White cardstock. I used Early Espresso for the sentiment (from More Merry Messages) and even though it shows up on both cards, I think the more faded tree on the Cherry Cobbler Card is a tiny bit better. Have a great day!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Regina got thru surgery. Her husband called to let me know she was in recovery. And then a few minutes ago, Regina herself called! We only talked for a minute, but she sounded relieved~~very relieved. And so am I. Thanks for the prayers sent up for Regina. She said they were heard. Goodnight all.

. . .has been fighting lung cancer for the past months. (A little side note~~Regina never smoked. It shouldn't make a difference, but some people do wonder about that.) About 5 months ago she underwent surgery, chemo and proton therapy. Unfortunately, she has had a recurrence. This morning she is going in for removal of her left lung. She is so brave and has gone thru so much already. She is keeping up a good front but I know she is very worried--especially about her family. Regina is married and has eleven year old twins, a girl and a boy. She is also the person who would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. So today's post is a request: Please say a prayer for Regina, her family and her doctors performing the surgery. Send good thoughts to the Otten family. Have a great day and find a little prayin' time.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

No other lights are needed in our living room~~unless you want to read! I find it ironic that our Christmas tree is so calming. You think of Christmas and the shopping, the baking, the present wrapping~~so much to do to get ready for Christmas. Yet I walk past the tree and think about how pretty the tree is and take a few minutes to look at it and reflect on Christmases past. And do you know what I remember the most? Our Christmases I spent with my family and friends. I do remember a few gifts~~the Little Women book my parents gave me when I was a child, the gumball machine engagement ring my husband (of 38 years) gave me and can't forget the iron he gave me--lol! Those gifts were significant for one reason or another. But when I look at the tree, I think about the family--Santa Claus coming to our house on Christmas Eve and handing out presents with my Mom and brothers and sister and Grandpa and Aunt Helen and Uncle I all sitting around and smiling and laughing; the stuffed cabbage dinner we had every Christmas Eve that our kids and my nephews did not enjoy; all of us sitting in the living room on the sofa, chairs, the floor and just being a family~~a joyful time; going to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and so much more. I guess the shopping and wrapping are all part of the Christmas celebration, but above all else, it is about the love and laughter of family and friends that will carry over year after year. I hope that as you prepare for the holidays, you can take the time to look at your tree and find a little peace and quiet.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I purchased the Watercolor Winter set and sorry to say, have barely used it. Today's cards are two quick and simple cards stamped with the poinsettia image from the Watercolor Winter set and a greeting from the Greetings of the Season set, both sets in the Holiday mini. I am pleased with the look of Cherry Cobbler ink and ribbon against the white card base. And I especially like the scored lines on the lower card. The one thing I am not too happy with is the yellow gel pen I used on the little centers of the poinsettias. Future cards I make using this poinsettia will have Dazzling Diamonds glitter in the center instead. If you have a limited amount of time to spend making Christmas cards, these are two quick and simple ideas. No poinsettia image? How about a snowflake? No holiday image at all? How about the ribbon at the top, a few score lines in the center and the sentiment in the lower right hand corner? So many possibilities with just a few supplies. Have a wonderful day and find yourself a little stampin' time.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Happy Monday! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration--as always. Once everything from Thanksgiving was put away, out came the Christmas decorations. John put out the lights up outside, just before the cold air arrived. Then yesterday we focused on the inside decorations and put up the Christmas tree. The living room always looks so pretty with the tree lit. I will have to post a picture of the tree later in the week. Today's photo shows gift envelopes made using the Petite Pocket die with tags punched using the Decorative Label Punch. Both are items that I use often and both are on sale thru November 28th during the Online Extravaganza for 30% off. These pretty pockets are the perfect presentation not only for gift cards, but also for monetary gifts, checks, candies, little trinkets and so much more. The layer under the Decorative Label tags are not available through SU as I created those using my Cricut and Sure Cuts A Lot program. Have a great day and a good week.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Woke up to our lovely little granddaughter's smiling face and eagerness to get ready for our Thanksgiving company. Last night she toasted three loaves of bread while she donned her Laura Ingalls' bonnet and at the same time as Charlie Brown was toasting his bread--hahaha!! Earlier in the day, she made these cute little turkey cookies, a recipe she found in her American Girl magazine back in the summer. We are so blessed to have her in our lives and that her mommy has brought her up to know the importance of not only family, but of working together to make a day special. I hope your day started as wonderfully as ours and that you have a blessed and very Happy Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I am in the midst of getting ready for Thanksgiving and as usual, I got side-tracked--lol!! Last month I was searching online for Bogdon Chocolate Covered Peppermint Sticks. A container of about 60 sticks cost $8 and the shipping was between 6-12 dollars. At that cost for shipping, I waited for a while and found a pack of 60 or so for $9 at my local World Plus Market--no shipping charge. If I had waited a little longer, I recently saw them at Hobbly Lobby for $6.99 and with a 40% off coupon they would have cost even less. Oh well, I would be spending more in gas money running around looking for the best price! I originally needed these peppermint sticks for Snowman Soup packs and found that the sticks also fit very nicely into a pocket made using the Petal Cone die. I used Raspberry Ripple and Shimmery White cardstock, a little bit of tulle and a star brad to hold the tulle in place. This is the first of a few Petal Cone die favors I will be making for Christmas. Now back to Thanksgiving! Have a great day and find yourself a little relaxin' time in the midst of your Thanksgiving preparations.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

I will be placing an order for items on the Extravaganza list tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. I am letting you know so if you are local and want to order only a few things, by combining orders we can save on the shipping. Just send me an email with items you want to order together with your credit card info by 10 tomorrow morning. Since SU will be closed on Friday, I am hoping that by getting the order in tomorrow, they will get it picked and shipped by tomorrow closing time. One of the items I am stocking up on will be the rhinestones. I love those little gems. As a matter of fact, did you know that you can color our clear rhinestones using Copic markers or Sharpie markers. I used my Copic markers on the rhinestones on these little tags. I have also used my Sharpie markers to create color coordinated rhinestones. Great little trick to keep in the back of your mind for future reference. Let me know if you have any questions or want to add to the order. Enjoy the rest of your day!

I enjoy sharing things created by others and these chocolate houses needed to be shared. My dear BFF, Lenora, makes these chocolate houses every Christmas and every Christmas I am amazed at the time and effort she puts into each one. The houses begin with a solid piece of quality chocolate (similar to a Hershey's kiss) from Morke's. She melts down the chocolate and pours it into molds. Some molds get painted first using various colored chocolate or confectionery product; i.e., the penguin. Once the house is assembled (each wall a separate piece of chocolate), she starts embellishing her house using a variety of candies, adhering each with her adhesive of choice~~more chocolate. Once all supplies are gathered, Lenora spends probably 4-5 hours on just one house, including melting and cooling time. The houses and embellishments are all edible. Those who receive one of Lenora's houses are delighted--and for good reason! People will look at my cards and say, "Wow, so much work and people throw your cards away." Well, these little houses are so cute and are so much work and we eat them!!! Have a "sweet" day!

Monday, November 19, 2012

This weekend John was off hunting and Sydney and I had a girl weekend here. While making cards and Thanksgiving favors, I introduced Sydney to the Lennon Sisters and Lawrence Welk! I don't even remember exactly how they became a big part of our weekend, but I was reminiscing and telling Syd how we used to spend our Saturday nights when we were kids~~watching the Lawrence Welk Show. Out came the iPad and Syd and I polkaed and waltzed, all while being creative in my scraproom!!! It was fun and a bit sentimental as I watched those videos and thought about how my family enjoyed such simple things~~together. Also simple are today's cards. I stamped random snowflakes to make pretty backgrounds and then embellished a few of the flakes with little silver stars or Dazzling Diamonds. The snowflake wreath image is from the Four Seasons hostess set, punched using the 2 3/8" scallop circle punch and adhered using dimensionals after the ribbon and/or seam binding was tied around the white cardstock of each card. By the way, when Syd woke up Sunday morning, she wanted to know if I could put on that "polkying" music again! Must be that good Polish and German blood. Have a great day!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Woke up to the news that Stampin' Up is having an online sale beginning November 19th and ending November 28th.! During these 10 days only, you can get incredible
discounts--up to 50 percent-on some of your favorite products! In addition, there will be three products 20 percent off for 24-hours only on
both the first and last days of Online Extravaganza--our very own doorbusters!

The above link will take you to the list of items that will be on sale. You can place orders directly online through my website, www.stampintimesomewhere.stampinup.net or you can contact me and I will place the order for you. And don't forget your Christmas Wish List or that of your stampin' friends! Now would be a good time to start your Christmas shopping without having to leave your house!

Questions? Don't hesitate to give me a holler. Off to check out the sale list. Have a great day!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Today's cards were again created using a "stencil" left over from a previously diecut framelit (from the Labels set). After sponging the Crumb Cake, I stamped the image (off-center a bit) with Early Espresso ink before removing the stencil. This was done so that the image remained in the confines of the Crumb Cake sponged area while masking off the white area of the card. The sentiment was stamped after the stencil was removed as I wanted the sentiment to spill over into the white area. I repeated the same steps for the Marina Mist and Red card, but I inked the flower image using my markers so as the flower would stand out. I am sure you recognize the stamps I used from the Love & Sympathy set, but maybe not the "hope" sentiment. It is from the Blooming With Kindness set on page 87 of the annual catalog. In my opinion, the font used in this set is gorgeous. Now time to get back to my holiday things. Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I have been making many Christmas and Thanksgiving cards and favors and needed a little change of pace. So, I opted to make a pretty little card for Valentine's day or just to say "love you" to someone. This polka dot Love You stamp jumped out at me when the Holiday Mini was first released, but I wasn't into the other stamps in the Seasonal Sayings set. So when SU released it as a single stamp purchase, I wasted no time in purchasing it. At the price of $4.95, I will get my money's worth. What the heck, one embellished card at my local card shop costs $4.95! And how perfect is the heart? After cutting a heart using a framelit die, I saved the heart for future use, but used the negative space as my stencil. I centered it on the card and sponged the entire area with Pink Pirouette. When I was happy with the sponging, I removed the "stencil", stamped the sentiment in black and added a few little flowers and embellishments. In tomorrow's post, I will show a couple more cards on which I used the masking technique. Until then, have a great day!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Today's photo is of our new grandpuppy, Duval. Back in April, our son adopted Molly and she is a very good dog. But Molly needed a friend as she suffers from a little separation anxiety. Matthew had been searching Pit Bull rescue sites looking for Molly's companion when he came upon Bombshell Bullies Pit Bull Rescue (www.bombshellbullies.com). He saw this little charmer, set up an appointment to meet him and now the boy belongs to Matt and Molly. The two dogs are getting along just fine and Duval has made himself right at home at Matt's house. He and Molly are good companions for each other and for Matt, too. They are both lucky dogs to have Matt as their Dad. Congratulations, Matt. We are proud of you and your determination to rescue dogs rather than purchase a cute little puppy from the pet store.

Monday, November 12, 2012

My JOY Frame workshop was a huge success. Over the past week, a few of you have seen my FAMILY frames in person and have asked if I was going to offer a workshop for it. Before I set firm dates, I am wondering how many would be interested, what date would work, etc. My initial plan includes:

Cost: $12 (not including frame or extra paper); I will try to get black frames at a decent price of $10 again. (Not an SU event.)

Dates I have available: Sunday November 25th and/or Saturday, December 1st.

I have used Cherry Cobbler and Pink Pirouette for the letter shadows and tiny embellishment pieces. You would have the color of your choice using SU cardstock. So long as it coordinates with black and ivory, the choice is yours.

You would need to supply your own adhesive and bring a paper trimmer.

As of this moment, I have supplies to make 10 of these, not including frames and with a few minor paper changes, more than that. I have 5 black frames as of now. If you are interested in attending a Family Workshop, please send me an email (gsacht@aol.com) including the date that would work best and the color you would prefer. Have a great day!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

When you see a man or woman in a military uniform, do you ever just say "thank you"? I am proud to say that I do. Do you ever see an elderly gentleman wearing a cap embroidered with the name of a ship or the words Vietnam War Veteran or World War IIVeteran? I have. As a matter of fact, my dad walked just a little taller when he wore his hat embroidered with U.S.S. Iowa BB-61. Did anyone ever thank him? I do not know and wish I had asked that question. But I have been in the store and approached an elderly gentleman or two who were wearing such a baseball cap and have thanked them. The men were thrilled and a little shocked, too. But you know what? They immediately knew why I said "thank you". So if you have the opportunity, thank a stranger in uniform or an elderly man or woman wearing one of those baseball caps. They are our heroes and because of them we have our FREEDOM! Thank you to all who gave and continue to give their all for us.

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Class fee is $12.00 ($14.00 if I supply adhesive) OR a $30.00 Stampin' Up Order before tax and shipping unless otherwise noted. (Table items not included in class fee.) Pre-registration is required for classes. Classes are for adults only unless otherwise noted. Dont forget your adhesive.

About Me

Elgin (west of Randall Road; South of Rt. 20), Illinois, United States

I am married (42 years now--oh my!) and have two children:
Jen and Matt. Jen and her husband blessed us with a beautiful granddaughter who is now 12 years old.
I have been stamping and scrapping for about 13 years. Eight years ago in February I became a Stampin' Up! demo because the quality of their cardstock and ink works best for me. I have a Cricut Explore and the SU! cardstock cuts beautifully in the Cricut. I am also the owner of a Big Shot. What a great tool. The Cricut and Big Shot are great companions in my scrap room. As much as I love SU! products, there are a number of companies that offer wonderful products. That being said, I do use embellishments, scrapbook paper, and tools from other companies.
The content of this website is my sole responsibility as an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator and the use of, and content of, the classes, services, or products offered on this website are not endorsed by Stampin' Up!